Raven Country

Ravens vs. Browns: 3 Takeaways From Heartbreaking Loss

The Baltimore Ravens lost in the final minute to the Cleveland Browns.

Nathaniel Marrero

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) closes in on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) closes in on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It was a heartbreaker for the Baltimore Ravens in their 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

After the AFC North rivals exchanged leads throughout, the Browns took the lead for good on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left in the game. Lamar Jackson got the Ravens down near the 20-yard line, but they couldn't score on any of their final three plays to end the game.

It was a myriad of errors throughout the game that paved the way for Baltimore (5-3) to be upset by Cleveland (2-6). With the loss, the Ravens had their five-game winning streak snapped and the Browns got back in the win column after losing five in a row.

Here are three takeaways from the Ravens' loss.

Missed opportunities kill Ravens:

The play before the Browns took the lead for good was a perfect microcosm of how the game went.

An errant throw from Winston found its way into the arms of Kyle Hamilton. Rather than coming down with what could have been an interception that would have positioned Baltimore to win its sixth-straight game, the All-Pro safety bobbled the ball before dropping it.

Hamilton's drop was far from the only blunder that cost Baltimore. Safety Eddie Jackson had multiple opportunities for an interception that went right through his hands. Receiver Rashod Bateman had a huge play negated by a crucial drop on third down in the fourth quarter when the Ravens were down by three.

You're only asking for trouble when you make mistakes and let an inferior team hang around, That trouble came back to bite the Ravens and hand them a debilitating loss.

Lack of Derrick Henry proves costly:

Derrick Henry was pivotal in the Ravens going from dropping their first two games to winning five in a row.

Outside of a 39-yard run and his two-yard run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, he was largely absent. He finished the day with just 11 carries, his fewest of the season, and ran for 73 yards.

During the Ravens' winning streak, he averaged 20.6 carries and 148.6 rushing yards per game and scored six rushing touchdowns.

While the Browns' defense did a solid job of making sure Henry didn't ruin the game, his running style thrives the more he gets the ball. It's also beneficial given the current state of the Baltimore defense, especially with two starting cornerbacks out.

Henry was very much at the root of the Ravens' turnaround after an 0-2 start to the season. Straying away from that proved to be costly against Cleveland.

Defense remains a problem:

The Browns' offense had been among the league's worst through seven weeks and Winston was in his first start of the season.

You wouldn't have been able to tell with how they played against the Ravens defense.

Cleveland's 401 total yards and 29 points were season-highs. Winston carved up the league's worst pass defense, completing 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns.

Even with the Ravens having starting cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins out, it's hard to look past how easy it was for the Browns to find success throwing the ball against Baltimore for much of the game.

Baltimore can't afford to lean on Jackson and the offense to win a shootout to bail out the defense. Whether it's bolstering the pass rush or making personnel or schematic changes, the Ravens need to improve their defense and find some consistency with that unit if they're going to be a true threat in the AFC.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

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